1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control unit for controlling the movements of an animated character of a game software, for example, on a display and to a system utilizing such control unit. More particularly, it relates to a control unit and a system which enable the player to acquire enhanced virtual reality in the game.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional game machine utilizing a TV set as a display screen incorporates a main unit connectable to the TV set with a connection cable, and a control unit connected to the main unit with a connection cable for controlling the movements of a character displayed on the display screen.
The main unit includes a disk drive for retrieving a program from a recording medium such as an optical disk and a graphic processor for displaying a character on the display along with a background picture in accordance with the program.
The control unit is provided on the surface thereof with a multiplicity of control buttons. The player of the game may operate these control buttons to enter instructions in order to control the movements of the character on the screen in the direction as he wishes.
Such a control unit as described above is usually implemented as a hand-held unit operable by fingers. The hand-held unit is provided on one side thereof with a circular or a cross shaped direction controller having a set of direction buttons for controlling the direction of the movement of the character, and on the other side thereof a function controller having a multiplicity of function buttons for setting and executing functions allowable for the character. The circular or cross shaped direction controller has four switches associated with the direction buttons, which are angularly spaced apart at right angles about their common center and may be selectively turned on and/or off by the direction button pushed by the player, so that the character is digitally moved in the corresponding direction on the screen. The function controller has a multiplicity of switches associated with the function buttons for setting up functions which the character can perform on the screen. The function controller is also used to execute the functions thus set up for the character.
In the above-described conventional control unit, although the player visually perceives the motions of the character on the display and hears sounds from the speakers of the system, he runs the game only by operating a multiplicity of control buttons on the controller with fingers. Therefore, the game is unidirectional in that the game proceeds based only on the information given by the player to the control unit, but that no feedback is given from the control unit to the player.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention has several objectives. One objective is to provide a control unit for a game machine capable of performing functions in response to the signals received from the game machine, so that the player may enjoy the game with enhanced virtual reality. Another object of the invention is to provide a control unit usable for a game that involves versatile motions of a character. A further object of the invention is to provide a control unit for a game machine providing the player with physically added virtual reality. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a control unit for a game machine which is compact in size and yet capable of efficiently transmitting vibrations to the player.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a control unit connected to a machine for retrieving and processing information stored on a recording medium. The control unit is operable by an operator to send instructions to the machine to execute a program stored on the recording medium. The control unit includes a housing, a plurality of finger-manipulatable controllers mounted on the housing, a pair of diverging grips which are molded integral with the housing and project from one side (rear side) of the housing facing the operator towards the player. The grips are supportable by both palms of the operator. The control unit also includes a vibration motor mounted within at least one of either the housing and/or grips via an adapter. The motor includes a casing, a freely rotatable shaft supported by the casing and an eccentric member mounted on the shaft. The eccentric member has a rotor mounted on the shaft and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor and a magnet mounted on the casing and facing the eccentric member. The motor further includes means for supplying electric current to each of the coils for energizing the motor and setting the motor in vibration by the eccentric rotation of the eccentric member. The housing, grips and controllers are sized and arranged so that the operator is able to manipulate the controllers with his fingers and feel the vibration of the energized motor through at least one of the housing and grips.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a control unit connected to a machine for retrieving and processing information stored on a recording medium. The control unit is operable by an operator to send instructions to the machine to execute a program stored on the recording medium. The control unit includes a housing, a plurality of finger-manipulatable controllers mounted on the housing, and a vibration motor mounted within the housing via an adapter. The motor includes a casing, a freely rotatable shaft supported by the casing and an eccentric member mounted on said shaft. The eccentric member has a rotor mounted on the shaft and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor. The motor also includes a magnet mounted on the casing and facing the eccentric member, and means for supplying electric current to each of the coils for energizing the motor and setting the motor in vibration by the eccentric rotation of the eccentric member. The vibration motor is set in a vibratory motion caused by the rotation of the eccentric member when the motor is energized by the electric current and transmits the vibrations to the operator via the housing.
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a system including a machine capable of retrieving data from a recording medium and of executing a program retrieved from the recording medium in response to an instruction given by an operator to the machine. The system includes a control unit connected to the machine for controlling the machine. The control unit has a housing, a multiplicity of finger-manipulatable controllers mounted on the housing, a pair of diverging grips which are molded integral with the housing and project from one side (rear side) of the housing facing the operator towards the player. The grips are supportable by both palms of the operator. The control unit also includes a vibration motor mounted within at least one of either the housing and/or the grips via an adapter. The vibration motor includes a casing, a freely rotatable shaft supported by the casing, and an eccentric member mounted on the shaft. The eccentric member has a rotor mounted on the shaft and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor. The motor further includes a magnet mounted on the casing and facing the eccentric member, and means for supplying electric current to each of the coils for energizing the motor and setting the motor in vibration by the eccentric rotation of the eccentric member. The housing, grips and controllers are sized and arranged so that the operator is able to manipulate the controllers with his fingers and feel the vibration of the energized motor through at least one of the housing and grips.
In a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a system including a machine capable of retrieving data from a recording medium and of executing a program retrieved from the recording medium in response to an instruction given by an operator to the machine. The system includes a housing, a plurality of finger-manipulatable controllers mounted on the housing, and a vibration motor mounted within said housing via an adapter. The motor includes a casing, a freely rotatable shaft supported by the casing and an eccentric member mounted on the shaft. The eccentric member has a rotor mounted on the shaft and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor. The motor further includes and a magnet mounted on the casing and facing the eccentric member and means for supplying electric current to each of the coils for energizing the motor and setting the motor in vibration by the eccentric rotation of the eccentric member. The vibration motor is set in a vibratory motion caused by the rotation of the eccentric member when the motor is energized by the electric current and transmits the vibrations to the operator via the housing.